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Hanukkah Booklet

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Tag Archives: doughnuts

Christmas and the first night of Hanukkah fall on the same day this year. Growing up the child of a divorced, interreligious family, this would have blown my mind even more than it does as an adult. While I was raised primarily in my Jewish mother’s home, my brother and I spent every Christmas with my dad, stepmother and half-sister, and we loved it. I mean, loved it. Sure, the extra presents were nice (very nice), but the experience of both holidays was nothing short of warmth.

Now, at 36, as I think back to having to shuffle between houses for holidays, I feel nothing but warmth. I loved lighting the menorah and the smell of the match as it lit a fresh batch of Hanukkah candles. I equally loved the smell of eggnog and the sound of Nat King Cole’s classic Christmas record as I helped my dad and family decorate the tree. I never once felt I was compromising my enriched and grounded Jewish identity as I played along with my dad and stepmom in pretending, for the sake of my beloved half-sister, that Santa and his reindeer were, in fact, on the roof trying to figure out how to get down the chimney.

Somehow, my family figured out how to give my brother and me a safe and inviting interreligious experience growing up and never asked us to choose. It was our normal, and it was perfect. I hope this recipe helps you bring some of that warmth into your home.

Gingerbread Sufganiyot

Ingredients

For the doughnuts:

1 and 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp. sugar, plus ½ cup extra for coating

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. active dry yeast

2 eggs

¼ cup plus 2 tsp. warm water

4.5 Tbsp. room-temperature butter

4 cups neutral oil for frying (like canola)

For the filling:

½ cup cream

¼ cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 Tbsp. cinnamon

2 Tbsp. ginger

1 Tbsp. allspice

¼ Tbsp. nutmeg

¼ Tbsp. ground cloves

2 egg yolks

2 Tbsp. sugar

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

Instructions

1. Place all doughnut ingredients, except the butter, into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Work on a low speed for about 4 minutes, or until well-combined and elastic.

2. With the mixer still running, add the butter piece by piece, until it’s all worked in and incorporated. There should be no visible pieces. This will take about 5-8 minutes.

3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place to rise until doubled in size.

4. While the dough is rising, make the filling. Place the cream, milk, vanilla and gingerbread-spice mixture into a small saucepan over medium heat.

5. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch. When the milk begins to bubble around the edges, remove it from the heat and slowly whisk it into the egg mixture.

6. Pour the mixture back into the pan over medium heat, whisking constantly. Cook until it boils and becomes very thick, about 1-2 minutes. Once the mixture is the consistency of soft butter, scrape it out into a bowl, cover and set aside to cool completely.

7. When the dough has risen, punch it down and scrape it out onto a well-floured surface. Make sure your hands are properly floured and pat the dough into a rectangle, about ½-inch thick, and cut out nine doughnuts using a well-floured 2.5-inch round biscuit cutter or large glass. Place the doughnuts on a lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and set aside to rise for 45 minutes, or until puffy.

8. When the doughnuts are finished their second rise, place about 2 inches of oil into a high-sided pan (or use a deep fryer) and heat over a low flame, until it reaches 350 degrees (or until a small piece of dough dropped in the oil bubbles and rises to the surface).

9. Fry the doughnuts a few at a time (don’t crowd the pan) for about 1 minute each side, or until golden brown and cooked through.

10. Drain on paper towels and toss in the ½ cup sugar.

11. To fill the doughnuts, I use a flavor injector, like you would use for a turkey. I find this the easiest way to get the cream in. Alternatively, you can place the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a ¼-inch nozzle. Press the piping bag into the side of each doughnut and squeeze until you can feel the weight of the doughnut increase slightly.

There are two stories associated with Hanukkah: One tells how the vial of oil that was supposed to last for one day lasted for eight, and the other is the story of Judith and how she saved her town from annihilation at the hands of General Holefernes by getting him drunk on salty cheese and wine until he passed out and was killed. The latter story is not often told in Hebrew school (for good reason!), but the holiday’s culinary tradition of eating foods prepared with cheese is widespread throughout Mediterranean Jewish communities.

Doughnuts, or sufganiot as they are called in Israel, are a Sephardi treat. Ponchiki, however, are traditionally made in Poland and Eastern Europe, the area where Ashkenazi Jews came from. So this recipe not only combines two culinary traditions and two cultural areas of Judaism, it also fulfills the holiday traditions of consuming fried foods and cheese.

1. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a one-quart bowl. Set aside.

2. Whisk the egg in a two-quart bowl. Add the sugar and vanilla, continuing to whisk until foamy and well combined.

3. Add the cheese and whisk vigorously to break it down into small particles, thoroughly combining it with the egg mixture.

4. Add the flour mixture and stir with the whisk or a spatula until no particles of flour are visible.

5. Heat the oil in a small, deep fryer or in a two-quart saucepan to a temperature of 375ºF. If necessary, add enough oil to come to a depth of about two inches. If you don’t have a deep-fry thermometer, you’ll know the oil is ready when a little bit of dough rolls in the oil and begins to brown.

6. Using a small spring ice-cream scoop or a tablespoon and rubber spatula, scoop up some dough and drop it into the hot oil. Don’t fry more than six balls at a time so the oil temperature remains constant. Turn doughnut holes over, if necessary, to brown on all sides. Doughnuts will be done after about three minutes. If holes are browning too fast, lower the heat slightly.

7. Crumple paper towels on a plate to drain the holes of excess oil. While still warm, toss them in confectioner’s sugar or in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar.

They are best eaten warm but will stay crisp for a few hours.

Homemade Farmer’s Cheese

Makes about two to three cups.

Ingredients:

½ gallon whole or 2 percent milk

1 quart buttermilk

½ tsp. salt

Cheesecloth

Directions:

1. Bring milk and buttermilk to a simmer. Add the salt and continue to cook until the ingredients separate into curds and whey.

2. Scoop up the cheese with a skimmer or small strainer and place in a large double-mesh strainer or colander lined with three layers of cheesecloth. Let the cheese sit so any excess moisture can drip out, then bring the edges of the cloth together and twist them to force out any leftover moisture.

3. Refrigerate the cheese until ready to use in a recipe, or eat with jam on toast.

Missing morning carb treats like doughnuts? No need to stress if you are following the culinary traditions for Passover. Burmolikos are light, soft puffs of egg and matzah that are fried in oil (and bear no resemblance to heavy matzah fritters). They are a wonderful treat eaten by Bulgarian Jews during Passover and year-round because they are so delicious! Be sure to roll them with cinnamon and sugar while they’re still warm, or eat them with jam or honey.

Burmolikos (Bulgarian Matzah Puffs)Makes 10-12 puffs

Ingredients:

2 sheets plain matzah

2 eggs

1 egg yolk

1/8 tsp. salt

Canola or cottonseed oil

½ cup sugar mixed with ½ tsp. cinnamon

Jam or honey (optional)

Directions:

1. Break the matzah into large pieces and soak in a bowl of warm water until soft, about 15 minutes.

2. Drain the matzah and squeeze handfuls until almost all of the water is removed. Place in a 2-quart bowl.

3. Add the eggs, egg yolk and salt to the clumps of matzah and combine well with a fork.

4. Heat the oil in a small saucepan or deep fryer to a depth of 2 inches—if you use a 1-quart saucepan you will use only about 1 cup oil and will only be able to make 2 puffs at a time. However, they cook quickly so it is up to you.

5. When the oil is hot, drop the mixture by oval soup spoon or ice cream scoop into the oil and fry on one side until golden, about 1-2 minutes. Turn over puff and fry on the other side until golden—another minute. Drain on crumpled paper towels (you use fewer towels and have more surface area to absorb the oil).

Coat with the sugar/cinnamon mixture. Burmolikos can also be served with jam or honey.

Some “Tina’s Tidbits”

This recipe is classically European since there is no sugar in the batter. Before you add some sugar, you might try adding 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract or a pinch of nutmeg to the batter to create a taste similar to a cake doughnut.

The puffs don’t need to be fried in a deep fryer. I used a 1-quart saucepan. This allows me to use less oil while still keeping the depth I need to make the Burmolikos initially submerge. I can only make 2 or 3 at a time, but they cook in less than 2 minutes and stay warm for at least 10-15 minutes.

Try using an ice cream scoop with a release wire for your batter. This will give you more rounded puffs.

This mixture puffs so well because the water in the soaked matzos turns to steam when it cooks in the hot oil.

If you use gluten-free matzos, this recipe is then gluten-free and dairy-free!